Knife handle



1950 c. w. AHMER 2,517,158

KNIFE HANDLE Filed April 12, 1946 IN VEN TOR.

Cari W (Zhrmer,

Patented Aug. 1, 1950 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE KNIFE HANDLE Carl W. Ahmer, Chicago, Ill. Application April 12, 1946, Serial No. 661,673

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a knife handle for holding safety razor type blades and has for its principal object the provision of a new and improved device of this type.

It is a main object of the invention to provide handle for safety razor type blades that will hold the blade securely, thereby forming a serviceable knife.

A further object of the invention is to provide a blade holder into which the blade may be telescoped so that the knife may be carried safely.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blade holder in which the blade is securely clamped by pressures exerted edgewise on the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide a blade holder that can be manufactured as a serviceable unit at low cost.

Other objects of the invention not specifically mentioned here will be apparent from the detailed description and claims which follow, ref-' erence being had to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is shown by way of example and in which;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the holder in Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view taken substan-""- tially along the line 6-5 of Fig. 5 looking in the direction of the arrows.

It is old in the prior art of which I am aware to provide holders for forming a knife from discarded safety razor blades. In most of these' prior art devices the blade is clamped in the holder by pressure exerted on the flat faces of the blade, with the result that a member of the holder, or in some cases members of the holder,

are placed alongside the flat faces of the blade and interfere with its use as a cutting tool. In other prior art devices of which I am aware blades have been held by endwise clamping, but here again it has been necessary to place members of the holding structure alongside of the faces of the blade, with the result that use of the blade as a cutting instrument has been impaired,

The present invention provides a holder in which the blade is clamped, by edgewise pressure point 9.

exerted between the cutting edge of the blade on the one side and the back edge of the blade on the other, these pressures being applied only at one end of the blade, leaving the major portion thereof projecting from'the holder where it maybe used as a cutting instrument under many conditions heretofore impossible.

Thin perforated double edged blades of the socalled Gillette type when used in the holder of the present invention are split substantially along the longitudinal median line of the blade, and owing to the shape of the blade and theperforations contained in itit is not difiicult to break it in two along this line. There are also available single edged blades of the so-called ejector type which may be used in the holder of contains substantially parallel side walls 2 and 3,

one of which is perforated with slots i and .5. The rear or butt end of thehandle isrounded as shown at 6 and may be provided with a ring I to permit attaching the knife to a chain or other suitable cord means.

, Located within the channel-like outer member l. is a blade holder8 which is likewise generally U-shaped and is disposed with its closed edge coinciding with the open edge of the outer member I. The inner member 8, is provided at one of its ends with a fulcrum 9 which bears against the inside surface of the closed side of the outer member, for a purpose which will presently appear. Carriedby and clamped between the two side wall portions of the inner member 8 is a spring l0, one portion ll of which bears against the closed side ofthe outer member and is tensioned to rotate, the inner member in a counterclockwise direction, Fig. 5, around the fulcrum One side wall member l2 of the inner member 8 is cut away as shown at 13 and the other end I l of the spring in extends into and above this cutaway portion, l3 and is tensioned to bear laterally against the other side wall section of the member 8. A blade I5 is pushed into the space between the side wall sections of the member 8 and between the end portion I l ofthe $pring and the one side wall section, being held against that section by the tension in the spring.

Member 8 also carries an ear I6 formed by bending a section of one side wall section of the member across the groove thereon to form a stop against which the innermost end of the blade I5 may be projected to limit the inner movement of the blade with respect to the member 8. Adjacent to the ear I6 is a slot I'I.

Surrounding theouter member I is a collar 29 which has a narrowed portion 2I that bears against the closed edge of the inner member 8 and is adapted to fit into the slot I1 so as to permit the spring II] to rotate the inner member and blade carried thereby counter-clockwise, as seen in Fig. 5. The member 8 may then be moved longitudinally of the member I todraw the blade I5 into that member, thereby toregister'the' ear I 6 with the slot 5. If the collar 20 is then moved to the right, Figs. 2 to 5, member 8 will rotate clockwise around the fulcrum 9 to move ear I6 into. the slot Band to clamp the two. members .I and 8 securely together so that the instrument may be safely carried.

When it is desired to open the knife for use, collar 1201s moved to the left, Fig. 3, first to permit spring ID to push the inner member and ear I6 out of the slot 5 and then to move the inner member 8 to. thesleft, Fig. 5. When the ear I6 is aligned with theslot 4, a slight pressure on the bottom closed. edge of the member 8. will force ear I 6 into the slot 4, after whichthe collar 2a-ismovedto the right, thereby to rotate the inner member 8..c1ockwise around the fulcrum 9:. This latter movement clamps the blade edgewise between. the closedv side oftheinnenmemberB andthe boss 25 in the closed side Of the member I. The farther. to the right that the collar 20 is moved the tighter. this clamping action and the blade I5imay readily be clamped to permit it to be used. for cutting, slitting, etc., without movement with respect to the holder.

Inicase the blade I5 is of the so-called Gillette" type, it will contain a notch into which the boss 25 will fit, thereby to provide an additional endwise lock for. the blade. Sincenotched blades of this. type are usually relatively thin, this engagement'of the boss and notch is useful in securelyholding the blade in the handle since the. thinness of the blade does not permit applying thereto the same edgewise pressure that can beappliedto a thickerblade. The handle membar I may be. provided with a second inwardly projecting boss 26'that will register with the notchinthe. bladewhen the blade is telescoped intothe outer. member to permitlmore securely locking the assembly together in .closed position.

Aswill beseenbest inFig. 4, the ends. of the side sections 2?. and -3'.of the outer member. I are bent inwardly to. form flanges against which the end of the inner member 8 is abutted whenthe blade is. in extended. position. This flange prevents thetwo members from being separated and also serves to stop movement of the inner member to the-left, when .the knife is being opened.

The blade holder of the present invention .may be made of. metal, plated and polished. if necessary, or in the case of a non-corrosive metal, such as;-for example,,stainless steel, merely polished to giveit a pleasing. appearance. When so constructed the knife is a sturdy, serviceable unit, capable of. being put to many uses where a sharp relatively lightblade is advantageous. When the blade becomes dullit can be discarded andv another one substituted without difficulty.

While I have chosen to show my invention by illustrating and describing a preferred embodiment of it, I have done so by way of example only, as there are many modifications and adaptations which can be made by one skilled in the art within the teachings of the invention.

Having thus complied with the statutes and shown and described a preferred embodiment of my invention, what I consider new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent is pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A knife handle for holding a safety razor type blade comprising an outer member of generally U-shape section, an inner member fitted withinsaid outer member and movable longitudinally thereof, there being a slot in said inner member adapted to receive one end of a razor blade, spring means carried by said inner member adapted to press laterally against said blade to hold the blade in the inner member, a fulcrum on said inner member adapted to bear against the. closed edge of said outer member and a clamping ring encircling said outer member and engaging said inner member and slidable lengthwise on said members thereby to rotate said innermember on said fulcrum to clamp said blade between the members by pressure exerted edgewise on the blade.

2. A knife handle, comprising an outer member of u-shape section, an inner member of U section fitted in said outer member with the closed edge of the inner member adjacent the open edge of the outer member, said inner member being slidable longitudinally of said outer member, an ear projecting laterally from said inner member, there being slots in said outer member into which the ear. is projected to limit the movement of the inner .member, means in the inner member adapted to receive a blade, spring means carried by the inner. member and adapted to bear against the side of a blade to hold the same in the member, a fulcrum on said inner member engaging the. closed edge of said outer member, andmeans engaging said members and operable to rotate the inner member onsaid fulcrum to move said ear into one of said slots and to clamp a, blade in thehandle by, pressure exerted edgewise on the blade.

3. In combination, a handle of. generally U- shaped. cross section, a blade holder of generally U -shaped section fitted Within said handle with its closed. side coinciding with the open side of said handle, a fulcrum on one endof said blade holder adapted to engage the closed. side of said handle, a spring carried bysaid blade holder and pressing against the closed side of said handle and tensioned to urge said members apart, a blade disposed in said blade holder and extending therefrom, said spring pressingagainstsaid blade on one side thereof to hold the blade in the holder, and means for rotating said blade holder around said fulcrum and toward said handle thereby toclamp said blade in the handle by pressure exerted edgewise on the blade.

' CARL W. AHMER.

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 628,259 Wheeler July 4, 1899 684,016 Weidknecht Oct. 8, 1901 2,102,675 Bush Dec. 21, 1937 

